Biomedical engineering advances最新文献

Microneedle (MN) patches are composed of micron-sized needles organised in arrays and attached to the backing of a patch. The most common type is the transdermal patch, designed to uniformly penetrate the stratum corneum to reach the dermis of the skin. Recent advances in 3D printing technology have allowed the development of reproducible, efficient methods to create microneedles on a large scale, which had previously been a factor in the limited clinical uptake. In comparison to conventional drug delivery methods, MN patches have been shown to significantly reduce pain and scar generation while maintaining effective and reliable delivery of vaccines, immunotherapies, and slow-release drug therapies. The MN design has also been investigated as an alternative to conventional tissue biopsy, with positive results. Synchronous delivery of medications while monitoring biomarkers in dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) is also a promising clinical development with wide-reaching benefits. MNs are diverse in design and material composition, and with developments in fabrication technology, transdermal drug delivery has been applied to many clinical fields, including chronic illnesses such as arthritis or diabetes, cancer, immunotherapies, epidemic disease prevention and ocular treatments. While the majority of MN patch applications are still in the pre-clinical testing phase in animal models, further translation of this technology to the clinic could aid in medication and vaccine compliance, improve treatment access in rural and remote communities, improve targeted therapy applications and provide financial cost savings to the public health sector. This review evaluates the designs and applications of current transdermal MN patches for drug delivery, biomarker monitoring and diagnostic biopsies compared to conventional needle-based methods.

Movement research has typically been performed using three-dimensional (3D) marker-based motion capture, which is considered the “gold-standard” for biomechanical assessment. However, limitations exist due to the lack of portability, extensive preparation for data collection, marker placement training, error due to marker movement, and possible skin irritation due to marker adhesives. There is inherent error due to motion artifact stemming from skin movement and differences in marker placement between testers. Markerless motion capture systems are emerging as a new method of kinematic assessment. These methods require little preparation and there is no need to alter participant clothing. Markerless motion capture has also been validated for the lower extremity in healthy older adults during gait. However, it has not been validated for other populations or for the assessment of upper extremity (UE) motion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in calculated UE kinematics between marker-based and a markerless motion capture system. Participants attended two data collection sessions. Marker-based and markerless motion capture data was collected simultaneously while participants completed the Box and Blocks test (BBT). Kinematic and spatiotemporal data from both systems was exported using identical time series to ensure the same conditions for comparisons. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to determine between session reliability for both systems on range of motion and peak joint angular data to ensure movement variability was not affecting measurement consistency. ICCs and Bland Altman statistics were also calculated between the systems. Root mean square deviation (RMSD) values were determined between demeaned UE joint angles for the two systems to examine movement pattern differences. The resulting between-session ICCs for each system showed that the markerless system shared similar reliability during this task as the marker-based system, further supporting the effect of variability on between-session reliability. Between-system ICCs resulted in good (0.7<ICC<0.9) to excellent (ICC>0.9) agreement. Bland Altman results confirmed the existence of measurement bias between the systems. RMSD values for all UE joint angles were found to be less than 6°. Overall, the results from this study support the use of markerless motion capture in clinical settings to examine upper extremity biomechanics in children.

In practical applications, protein fouling studies often face limitations due to their reliance on single-protein feed experiments. It is crucial to acknowledge that interprotein interactions can significantly differ from intraprotein interactions, leading to variations in adsorption and membrane fouling behaviors. In this review, we delve into the dynamics of adsorption and membrane fouling, with a specific focus on single and binary solutions of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and Lysozyme (LYZ) at or near physiological pH. These two proteins differ in terms of size, charge, and conformational stability, allowing for comparisons between small and large proteins, positively and negatively charged proteins, as well as rigid and flexible proteins. To gain further insights, we compare the findings from LYZ in single and binary solutions with those of alpha lactalbumin (α-LA), which, despite having opposite charges, shares a similar size with LYZ. The formation of BSA-LYZ heteroprotein complexes may introduce unique fouling trends in binary solutions compared to single solutions. This interplay can either enhance, reduce, or leave fouling unaffected. While studies employing the Extended DLVO (Derjaguin, Landau, Vervey, and Overbeek) theory to predict fouling in protein mixtures are limited, preliminary investigations using DLVO show promise. This approach has the potential to extend to binary and multi-protein feeds, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of fouling behavior in complex protein solutions. Considering that BSA is often used as a surrogate for Human Serum Albumin (HSA), the findings of this endeavor hold particular significance. HSA ranks the most abundant plasma proteins and, therefore, represents a crucial subject in numerous protein-related studies.

Upper limb amputations are frequently the result of traumatic events, often associated with car accidents or incidents involving industrial machinery. The development of prosthetic technologies is essential to provide physical assistance to amputees and offer psychological support. In such circumstances, cosmetic gloves can be utilized to improve personal and social comfort by enhancing visual characteristics similar to those of a biological hand. In this work, we developed formulations based on natural rubber latex (NRL) with antibacterial properties by the incorporation of an additive consisting of zinc oxide coated with silver nanoparticles to manufacture cosmetic gloves designed for upper limb prostheses. The dispersion efficiency of the additive was investigated by microscopic techniques. Tensile and tear strength tests, Shore A hardness measurements, swelling indices, hydrophobicity and inhibition of bacterial growth were also conducted to ascertain the suitability and adaptability of the developed material for integration into the daily activities of patients. Moreover, processing parameters for the immersion molding production of cosmetic gloves were assessed and validated, highlighting the crucial relationship between manufacturing techniques and material properties. Overall, the results indicated that the combination of the additive with a high crosslinking density of NRL effectively improved the material mechanical properties, resulting in a tensile strength of up to 20.7 MPa and a tear strength of approximately 40 kN m⁻¹. In addition, and according to the antibacterial tests, the gloves exhibited bacteriostatic effects against Staphylococcus aureus and bactericidal effects against Escherichia coli. As a conclusion, the dataset indicates that the manufactured cosmetic gloves can be used to covering upper limb prostheses. Additionally, it underscores the considerable potential for the cosmetic glove manufacturing industry through the use of appropriate formulations and processing techniques for NRL.